Microsoft Edge Browser Gains 'Sleeping Tabs' Feature, New Visual Themes, Password Generator, and More

Microsoft has updated its Edge browser for Mac with several new features, bringing "sleeping tabs," a password generator and monitor, new visual themes, and more.

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The "Sleeping tabs" feature aims to improve performance by releasing system resources for inactive or backgrounded tabs. The feature is optional and can be enabled in the browser settings menu.

Meanwhile, the new password generator suggests to users a secure and complex password whenever they sign up to a website for the first time or attempt to change an existing password. Edge also now notifies users if a password has been compromised in a data breach, which is similar to a feature recently introduced in Apple's Safari browser.

Elsewhere, 24 new themes offer visual customizations that affect various parts of the browser interface, including tabs, tab pages, and the address bar. The Edge development team has partnered with Xbox to offer themes from Microsoft franchises, including Halo, Gears, Forza, Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and more.

In addition, sidebar search is now generally available in Microsoft Edge. While browsing web pages, users can highlight a word, right click and search. A side panel will open with search results so they can get quick answers without having to navigate away from your current page.


Automatic Profile Switching has also come to macOS, as described in Microsoft's blog post:

One of our most loved features, called Automatic Profile Switching, makes its way to macOS this month. I like to keep my work browsing and personal browsing activities separate, and profile switching makes it so easy. Now macOS provides the ability to switch sites that authenticate with a user’s work profile so it’s easier to toggle between work and personal browsing. To get started, check with your local admin if automatic profile switch is enabled for your organization. If so, sign in with your Microsoft personal and work accounts and you’re ready to go.

Microsoft Edge has won over many users with its frequent feature updates and tight integration of Microsoft's design language with the design language of macOS. Tab syncing features were recently added, and it was also quick to offer native support for Apple Silicon, bringing optimized performance to Macs with the M1 chip. The browser can be downloaded from the Microsoft Edge website.

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Top Rated Comments

MacRS4 Avatar
53 months ago
Personal preference? It's lighter than Chrome, and I prefer it to Safari. In addition, it syncs with my work PC stuff which Safari doesn't.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sarkany Avatar
53 months ago

Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
Because it’s leagues and bounds better than Safari.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5232152 Avatar
53 months ago
Say what you want - Edge is probably one of the better uses of Chromium.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
53 months ago

Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
Surprisingly it's quite a good browser, a better option than chrome, better sync with those many who have a PC. On a Mac Safari is popular but I believe 50-55% so plenty of people not using it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dsusanj Avatar
53 months ago

Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
Almost never pops up in the "apps using significant energy" section, plus better privacy options than Chrome.

As Safari is not an option for those of us who use multiple platforms and want sync enabled, Edge is actually a quite good choice right now.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gmc8538 Avatar
53 months ago
Enterprise/SME - Edge actually works pretty well as it syncs with your Office 365 account, giving you unified search in sharepoint for example. Also some workplaces will have controls in place to force this browser for particular apps to prevent data leakage (ie disallowing copy and pasting if sensitive information).

In my workplace I can log on any machine and all my history/bookmarks/plugins etc all synchronizes across.

And as Edge is now using chromium its actually a decent browser.

I mean, outside of a workplace you probably wouldn't use Edge on a mac - just be mindful there's a much bigger world out there aside from home use cases... :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)